In terms of the economy and flagship sectors, Kawasaki is a city designated by government ordinance in Kanagawa Prefecture, situated between the capital city of Tokyo and Yokohama City, within the Greater Tokyo Area—one of the most dynamic economic regions in the world. With a population of over 1.5 million, Kawasaki plays a role as one of Japan's leading industrial, seaport, logistics, and research and development (R&D) hubs. The city's economic structure focuses heavily on high-tech manufacturing, automation, and clean energy, with the presence of numerous global conglomerates. In the new era, the city has successfully transformed itself from a traditional heavy industrial center into an "Eco-Industrial City" model by leading the development of circular economy solutions and advanced environmental technologies.
The Eco-Town model of Kawasaki (Japan) - Photo: Kawasaki City (https://nguoidothi.net.vn/do-thi-sinh-thai-xanh-de-phat-trien-41952.html)
Over the years, the outstanding cooperative achievements between the two localities have been highly substantive and pioneering, underpinned by the maintenance of regular high-level leadership delegation exchanges. Since the signing of the MoU, the bilateral alliance corridor has consistently reached many meaningful milestones, particularly effective cooperation programs within the framework of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). The close companionship of both city governments has unlocked the flow of technology, creating a solid launching pad for pilot projects in resource management, climate change adaptation, and technical infrastructure optimization, directly contributing to helping Ho Chi Minh City improve the quality of the living environment for its citizens.
Looking toward the future, particularly within the framework of the Ho Chi Minh City Friendship Dialogue in 2026 (FD 2026), the City is widening its corridors to attract direct investment, transfer governance expertise, and foster strategic alliances with partners from Kawasaki City in five key sectors:
1. Environment and Circular Economy: Strengthening alliances and transferring advanced solutions in solid waste management and sorting, resource recycling, domestic wastewater treatment, and greenhouse gas emission reduction in line with green growth orientations.
2. Green Transition and Sustainable Energy: Promoting investment and the widespread application of energy-saving technologies, developing next-generation renewable energy systems, operating smart grids, and implementing deep carbon-reduction urban models.
3. Smart Cities and Comprehensive Digital Transformation: Sharing practical experiences in modern urban planning and management, enhancing the application of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and digital technologies in traffic management, environmental monitoring, and the digitalization of public services.
4. High Technology and the Innovation Ecosystem: Tightening connections between research centers, universities, high-tech zones, and startup communities on both sides to promote the commercialization of innovative products and the transfer of core technologies.
5. High-Quality Human Resource Training: Expanding the scale of specialized training programs, as well as engineer and expert exchanges in environmental engineering, automation, and modern urban governance to meet the demands of the digital economy.